Method of and apparatus for production management

• US 6,094,603 A
• Filed: 08/08/1996
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Application Number:
  US08/694,291
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700/97, 700/99, 700/106, 700/107, 700/117, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A production management computer indicate the number of parts corresponding to a number of products smaller than a planned number of products to be produced to a controller. A parts supplying section supplies the indicated number of parts through a parts holding section to a product producing section. When the number of parts held by the parts holding section becomes nil, semi-products held by a semi-product holding section are counted, and as many parts as the number of the counted number of semi-products are additionally supplied. The product producing section can produce products without causing an excess or shortage of parts.

Claims

1. An apparatus for production management, comprising:

a semi-product supplying section for supplying semi-products according to a planned number of products to be produced,

a semi-product holding section for holding the supplied semi-products;

a parts supplying section for supplying a number of parts corresponding to a number of products which is smaller than said planned number of products;

a parts holding section for holding the supplied parts;

a product producing section for producing products with the supplied semi-products and the supplied parts; and

a controller for counting a remaining number of semi-products held by said semi-product holding section when all the parts held by said parts holding section are supplied to said product producing section, and instructing said parts supplying section to supply a number of parts corresponding to the counted remaining number of semi-products.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said semi-product holding section and said parts holding section comprises a conveyor line.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said semi-product holding section comprises means for holding a number of semi-products corresponding to a number of part shortages, in view of a rate of defective semi-products produced in said semi-product supplying section and a change in the planned number of products to be produced.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said semi-product holding section comprises means for holding a number of semi-products corresponding to or smaller than a number of parts held by said parts holding section.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of parts supplying sections and a plurality of parts holding sections disposed between said parts supplying sections and said product producing section, wherein each of said parts supplying sections supplies a number of parts, fewer than the planned number of products by a given number, to one of said parts holding sections.